New Audio: Population II Shares Brooding “Magouilleux”

Last year’s 14-song Dominic Vanchesteing-produced Maintenant Jamais saw the acclaimed Montréal-based psych rock outfit and JOVM mainstays Population II — Pierre-Luc Gratton (vocals, drums), Tristan Lacombe (guitar, keys) and Sébastien Provençal (bass) — saw the trio dating from their formative influences with a deep sense of sophistication.

The trio’s third album included “Le thé set prêt,” and “Mariano (Jamais je ne t’oublierai)” a krautrock/prog rock-like take on psych rock and the brooding organ and synth-driven “La Trippance.”

And just before they were about to head to Austin to play last year’s SXSW, the trio shared the Dominic Vanchesteing-directed live short film, Carillon — Population II in concert. Shot among the massive, brutalist-inspired concrete monoliths of the Monument québécois à la mémoire des héros du Long-Sault, the footage seemingly channels Pink Floyd‘s Live at Pompeii — but shot with a camera eye that languorously floats and circles around both the band and the enormous monoliths around then.

The JOVM mainstays supported the album with extensive touring across Europe, the US, Mexico and their native Canada.

Continuing upon that momentum, the Montréal-based trio will be releasing Maintenant Jamais‘ follow-up, Gimmicks EP through Bonsound on April 3, 2026. The vinyl edition will see an April 24, 2026 release and will include Serpent Échelle EP, which was previously only available digitally and on cassette on the B-side.

Featuring a blend of vocal and instrumental tracks, Gimmicks serves as a companion to Maintenant Jamais. “It’s an extension of the electronic sounds we explored on Maintenant Jamais, with tracks like “13 1 3 1” and “Poudreuse Blues”, the band’s Pierre-Luc Gratton explains. “Even though we added upright piano and fuzz bass to some of the songs, our number one rule for this project was: keyboards and synthesizers, first and foremost!” With the new material seeing the trio completely eschewing guitar, they continue to showcase their remarkable versatility.

The use of drum machine allowed the musicians to push their own boundaries while further exploring a synth-driven sound. “It made us rethink our rhythmic habits and add bursts of intensity by experimenting with timbres and sound dynamics,” the band says. The result is an EP of material that’s at times unsettling and other times dreamy but perfectly calibrated to the point where constraint gives way to ingenuity, freedom and friendship.

Gimmicks EP’s first single “Magouilleux” quickly unfolds with dreamy synth arpeggios and droning keys paired with buzzing synths and propulsive drumming. Gratton’s husky delivery effortlessly blends with the song’s brooding arrangement, which subtly conveys a sense of menace and unease. And as a result, the song showcases the band’s ability to be intense and forceful — but with a deliberate restraint.

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